Gambling Game
by Freedom Dancer
Summary: As Ed laid on the ground slowly dying, he realized that he was no chimera; he was still the same alchemist in the same body, but his Alchemy had been enhanced greatly. Shou Tucker had given him the power to use Alchemy without clapping or a circle. But change like this, power, isn't always good. Rated M for violence, torture, and mostly Ed in Ch.4 the rest of the story.
1. Ace My Test

Gambling Game 

Ch.1 Ace My Test

Sheets of rain pounded down outside Eastern Command and long, gloomy shadows were casted along the walls of the tall building. There were long senses of quiet that flooded through the room in which the Colonel and his subordinates refrained from idle chatter; Al had just called in from Resembool. His voice was shaky and eerily distant and lost. It was nothing short of depressed and the message was devastating. It echoed through Roy's ears like a yell of that from a canyon. _"Colonel... I-it's brother, h-he hasn't b-been home... for a-almost a week now.."_ came the raspy, stuttering voice of Edward's younger brother, Alphonse.

Roy held his head in his hands, his fingers entwined in charcoal colored hair. He couldn't shake the feeling of insignificance within himself; he felt so small and helpless. Ed had made a run for it before, but he always came back at least a day later, starved and tired from his failed escape. This time, he hadn't returned and Roy hadn't a single piece of evidence in his hands to go on. Was Ed murdered? No! That was almost impossible, not to mention insanely difficult for anyone to accomplish. Especially with such a rambunxious teenager who was a State Alchemist.

But it could happen; even Ed had blind spots, though that was difficult for Roy to admit himself.

The Colonel closed his eyes helplessly before looking up and gazing at Riza. She returned his lost and saddened look, gulping softly. His onyx searched her tan colored orbs for an answer, at least one of the millions he had, but none were of sufficient quality in his mind. His hair fell into his eyes. What had happened to Edward Elric?

Answers, if at least one out of all of them, he wanted that one to be solved and he wanted it figured out now. Suddenly torn from his thoughts by a loud gunshot outside, Roy grabbed his black rain coat and through it over his shoulders, quickly rising from his chair. "Sir!" Riza saluted, raising her hand to her forehead.

Roy nodded before running to his door and thundering out. "Lieutenant Hawkeye, let's go!" he bellowed, racing through the busy hallways, eyes narrowed, but clearly unfocused to the situation at hand.

He hadn't a moment to spare as he shoved through the heavy doors and outside into the darkened streets.

Lightning illuminated the shadowed city and thunder rumbled through the town, bouncing off the walls and creating a loud, earth-quake effect. Roy's pale, ivory skin seemed to glow like the moon in the dark. A scowl lined his lips and he abruptly turned into an alleyway, reaching his destination point. This was where the gunshot had sounded. This was where the chase began.

Hughes stood in front of several other officers, his eyes holding a sad but sincere note of anxiety. Slowly, he bent down and gently ran his fingers over something. A finger, a hand? Roy's eyes went wide with terror; it was an automail arm, Ed's automail arm and it was severely damaged.

Blood lined the metal and the wires were ripped and tattered like an animal had attacked Edward. Hughes gulped before pushing back up off the ground and gently shoving his glasses up farther along the bridge of his nose. "Confiscate the automail and remove everything from the scene, I want a thorough examination over all the pieces of evidence." Hughes said, his eyes closed gently.

"Maes, what's going on here?" Roy asked, setting his hands on his best friend's shoulders and glaring him in the eyes.

Hughes let out a soft sigh before blinking his eyes back open to face Mustang. "Roy, I wish I could tell you, I really do, but this- this is overwhelming to any of us in the Investigation force as of now. I've ordered a thorough ex-"

"I know that Maes! I want to know whose automail that is!" Roy yelled, cutting Hughes off before his voice silenced to a whisper. "I need to know that isn't Fullmetal's... If anything, I wish it was just some spare automail that an animal sunk its claws into and tore apart Maes."

"I wish I could tell you that's all it was, but then we saw this... It's soggy yes, and cryptic, but it's legible and I hate to let you see this... When we first found the automail, it was clenched into a fist, and there was a piece of weathered paper in it. The Investigation force opened it, but I doubt you're going to like what it says..." Hughes whispered, gently taking Roy's hand and setting a small, tattered note down in it.

Mustang looked at Hughes hesitantly before averting his eyes to the small document and just the quick glance he had caught made him shudder. Fear washed over his body. THE FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST WILL DIE IN VAIN IF YOU DO NOT FIND HIM WITHIN THREE DAYS! THIS WARNING IS ISSUED TO ALL WHO WISH TO HELP BUT IF YOU'RE LATE YOU HAVE MOST DEFINATELY FAILED! TO ACE THIS TEST YOU MUST PASS ANOTHER; ONE UNKNOWN TO ONLY FULLMETAL'S BROTHER... Roy's eyes shot up to Hughes before his friend motioned back down to the paper. "It gets worst, flip it over and read.."

Roy nodded and turned the note over, afraid to the horrid writing he would find on that side. The black ink had faded through and the letters had smeared slightly, but Roy continued to read. LISTEN CLOSELY AS I KNOW ALL OF YOU HAD HEARD, THE GUNSHOT THAT FIRED HELD ONE SIMPLE WORD! IF YOU CROSS MY PATH AND BETRAY THIS NOTE, YOU'RE FRIEND HERE WILL PERISH WITHOUT ONE SINGLE HOPE! Mustang's head jotted up. "W-why doesn't the last part have any evidence; why doesn't it hold any clues! How are we supposed to find Fullmetal without any clues!" he asked quietly.

"I guess that was to make this little 'test' harder," Hughes implied, shrugging his shoulders slightly. "Whatever it is, Edward's gonna' be in a lot of pain until we find him Roy..."

"Then hurry up and figure out where the hell he is!" Roy snapped, his eyes narrowing in fury.

Maes nodded and quickly turned around, ushering the Investigation squad out of the ally. With that, Roy turned on his heels, remaining silent as he walked back to Head Quarters in the heavy rain, Riza following after him. And the storm raged on...


	2. In A World Less Remembered

Ch.2 In A World Less Remembered

Ed laid on the ground, his left arm and right leg bound to the cold Earth. In all truth, he had tried to break free, but there was something he had forgotten; his memory was slowly erasing itself. He couldn't remember how to move, how to fight, how to scream. "Ah, I'm glad to see you awake Edward,'' a male voice whispered, gently combing through the thick air that pressed down on the Alchemist's chest.

Suddenly, it hit Ed like a ton of bricks and he started to struggle against the shackles that kept him attached to the dirt covered floor. "Tucker! You bastard!" he shrieked, flailing around.

"I'm glad you remember me Edward! I have a special treat for you!" Tucker mused, flashing the teen a toothy and evil grin, one that closely resembled Envy's. "Nina! Come here dear and bring daddy the Philosopher stone!"

Ed's eyes went wide and he gulped loudly, afraid of what was about to come. Nina, was she really alive, did Tucker bring her back? How the hell did he do that? Was it the real Nina, or was it just a fake? Everything was so confusing, so demented and it could only get worst. It would only get worst. After all, now Shou could ignore all the laws of Alchemy; all the physics, all the Quantum theories, all the equations. Every last bit of Equivalent Exchange.

As if to answer the young Alchemist's questions and shake his thoughts, a metal door swung open on its hinges, squealing loudly and piercing Ed's ears like a needle pushing through the plastic on a balloon.

He observed the area where he heard little footsteps emerging. "Daddy, I bwought it fo you just wike you wanted for wittle big bwother..."

It was the real Nina, it wasn't a doll, and it was far from being fake. She stood erect beside her father, hands cupped to reveal the bright magenta-colored stone. Her bright blue eyes gazed up to him and her hair was pulled back into the braids she had worn before Tucker had converted her into that thing- whatever it had been. Suddenly, her stare shifted to Ed. "Why didn't you and otho big bwother come back to pway with me wike you pwomised?" she asked, her voice sounding saddened and lonely, like it had before.

Edward stopped trying to escape the chains, his eyes meeting hers. "I-I... Nina, please, I was! I was going to come back! I swear, me and Alphonse both were," he whispered sorrowfully, tears blurring some of his vision.

A burning feeling wrapped up around his lungs and his throat constricted out of grief, a somber look glinting in those big, gold eyes. She blinked. "Then why didn't you big bwother?"  
>"Nina, we've been really busy. Your big brothers have been doing a lot of work for the Military lately! I swear Nina! I swear," he said, quieting to a whisper.<p>

She shook her head furiously. "Then you would have alweady done it wittle big bwother!" A crystalline tear rolled down her cheek and she quickly handed the Philosopher's stone to her father, a down casted frown on her lips.

"Thank you Nina, dear... Now, you go ahead and leave the room for just a little bit! Alright? Daddy will be up to play with you in a little while,'' Shou stated enthusiastically, setting his hand on the small girl's head.

She nodded before scurrying off, back into the shadows of the room from which she had entered. Ed watched her leave; how could something so innocent be so perverted by Shou's detrimental and jumbled lifestyle. But then again, Nina was terribly young and her mind was still developing. It was definitely easy and it definitely hurt Edward, seeing that she had been so turned against him in the four years he had last been there. Of course, four years was a long time. "Where's that Colonel of yours now? I hope he's not too worried about you Edward! After all, that bloody automail and note should keep him and his friend's stupid Investigation squad at bay just long enough for my transmutation to occur!"

Fear rushed through Ed's veins and he glanced at the Earth's floor, his eyes widening. White chalk smeared the dirt below his body. His breath hitched in his throat and he started to twist about wildly. "Don't leave yet Edward! The fun is just starting! Now that Colonel of yours must ace the test because after this, if no one finds you, you'll only have three days to live!"

An evil smile graced the man's features and a wild cackle sounded from his mouth, sending him into unruly fits of laughter. Ed's heart raced in his chest. What was Shou Tucker going to do to him? Was he to share the same horrid fate that Nina had endured? "Here we go!"

He put the Philosopher Stone at the end of Ed's foot, smiling a wry and twisted smile when streaks of gold and yellow swirled around. His eyes seemed to pierce through the reaction all the way to the elder Elric's when the lights faded to a deep red and purple; the same colors Ed and Al had observed when they tried to resurrect their dead mother.

And still, Ed could only begin to wonder what Shou Tucker, the Sewing Life alchemist was going to do to him.


	3. All I Have

Roy gazed down at the reports that laid on his desk; the Investigation force had just delivered it to him, and everything had come up with the answers he had so hoped against.

Everything had turned up positive, from the blood on the wires, to the screw in the automail.

Everything.

All he had were these few little pieces of evidence that made no sense to him whatsoever and he had only three days to figure out where Ed was, otherwise he'd be; Roy didn't want to think it, he wouldn't think it.

His onyx eyes shifted to the reports again when he caught something he had overlooked before. It had been obscured from view by another one of the papers, yet it was so simple to be seen. Fingerprints found on the automail; unidentified to document databases. There it was! There was the first clue; if he could figure out who the fingerprints belonged to, he could begin to search for Fullmetal! But without a document to refer to, he would get no search warrant and with no warrant, he wouldn't get to look for his subordinate.

Roy shifted his weight in his chair and sat up straight, picking up the document, along with the horrid note. ONE ONLY UNKNOWN TO FULLMETAL'S BROTHER. What did that mean? Did Al not know the test while he did? That was absurd; this letter was absurd. He didn't know the test and if Alphonse did, why hadn't he told him? UNKNOWN TO FULLMETAL'S BROTHER... But the younger Elric couldn't have known because for one, the note said UNKNOWN and two, well two, Al had no clue to where Ed was either. Did that mean, he and the people of the Military who served under him did?

At least that's what he had practically said over the phone.

Roy stood up from his desk, dropping the papers back on to the oak wood table before sliding the chair out and hurrying out of the room.

There had to be something more, something overlooked that even Hughes himself had missed. The Colonel's eyes darkened as he paced towards the Investigation force's barracks, determination plastered among his fair features.

Finally reaching a large, cherry-stained door, Roy turned the golden knob and entered in hurried steps. Where the heck was Hughes among all the chaos and turmoil that was in the room?  
>Manila folders, files from previous cases, and DNA samples were scattered among the tables. Rows of cabinets and drawers lined the walls. Cluttered together in one corner were three males, oblivious to the fact that Roy had entered the small office. "Excuse me, where is the Lieutenant Colonel Maes Hughes?" he asked, voice booming in the tiny space.<p>

They all jumped before quickly saluting him. "Sir! He's in the cafeteria! Sir!"

Roy clenched his fists and let out an irritated huff. Maes was lounging around while Edward was in grave danger? What was he thinking? "He's where?"

"I-in the c-caf-cafeteria...!" a red-headed female spoke up, her voice quivering in slight fear of what the raven headed man would do to them.

"I heard you the first time!" he yelled, quickly spinning on his heels and running out of the room.

The three officers glanced at each other nervously before slowly turning to their work again.  
>The walls vanished quickly behind the Colonel, his pace quickening. He had only one objective at that point and it was attacking Hughes with alchemy if he had to!<p>

Finally arriving at two large, metal doors that had rusted on the hinges from age, he burst through. Fury coursed through his body. He hadn't felt so much adrenaline in years, and though he was happy it was back, he was angry it had only come back due to Fullmetal's absence.

"Hughes! Lieutenant Colonel Maes Hughes! Report to the front doors now...!" Roy yelled.  
>Everyone stared at Mustang like he was an idiot; he returned their gazes with an angry glare, impatient for his friend's company.<p>

Footsteps were fast approaching the irritable Colonel who glanced at where they came from.  
>Maes stopped a few inches before Roy, hands on his knees as he leaned over panting. On the ground, from where he had huddled over to rest, were papers on the automail that they had found, the blood that had been on the wires, and Ed's disappearance. "W-what i-is it Roy?" Hughes asked, obviously out of breath.<p>

Mustang blinked. He had been researching and examining Ed's kidnapping? "Why aren't you in your office examining this information?" he asked.

"I haven't eaten since five o' clock yesterday Roy; I got hungry! I came down here to eat while I was working!"

"Sorry Maes, I'm just-"

"Irritable?"

"I was going to say nervous and jumpy," Roy stated, crossing his arms and narrowing his eyes.

"Same thing," Hughes muttered, slowly straightening back up. He motioned towards the doors. "Should we go talk privately?" he asked.

The Colonel nodded and the two slowly stepped out to converse in privacy, leaving other confused officers behind the metallic doors. "I don't know what's going on, but we have to find Edward soon,'' Roy whispered. 

-Hope ya'll liked it. The fourth chapter will be out soon . . . maybe . . . I'm working' on it, but I need nice reviews. :3 I MIGHT actually finish this story if I feel like it . . . XD -


	4. Scream

Managing to free himself from one of the bounding chains, Edward screamed again. That was his only hope. Scream. Scream. Scream. Shou narrowed his eyes and nearly flew above the young, helpless alchemist, calloused hand grabbing his neck. "Shuddup Edward!" he mused, wicked grin and overly amused, mischievous gleam glowering down at Ed. "Or this'll take even longer! Hell, it might take days more before I'm finished!"

Edward choked and rolled his head to the side, his flesh hand weakly clawing at Shou's arm. His face began to turn a light tint of blue, and his eyes weakly closed. "I plan to turn you into a very advanced chimera Edward," Shou mused. "But keep struggling, and I might just kill you for ruining my life..."

Falling limp under the weight, and losing strength every second that the elder man's hand was wrapped around his throat, Ed stopped his worthless battle. _He may have one this battle, _Edward thought, _but he hasn't won the war yet...  
><em>  
>Shou smiled wryly, releasing the instance Ed desisted his squirming. "Good Fullmetal. At least you follow orders like the Military taught you too."<p>

"You unimaginable bastard," Ed hissed through clenched teeth, golden eyes glimmering in the dim light. "You ruined your own life and Nina's in the process! You took her mother away from her! I should kick your ass... but I guess that's why you took my automail, huh? You're weak... and you know you can't beat me if I had it..."

"Shut up!"

"Why?! You killed your own daughter, dammit Shou! You should be here in this freaking Transmutation circle! Not me! I should kill you for what you did to her! But I don't use vengeance as an excuse for murder . . ."

Behind Shou, Nina was peeking around the corner of the door, hands gripping the frame as if she was about to lose her life. Her eyes were wide with terror. "Daddy?" she whimpered inaudibly.

Ed's brows furrowed together and he growled lowly. "You shouldn't even be an Alchemist! You turned your daughter into a puppet with a stolen soul, didn't you?! You sewed memories into her, so she could be who she used to be! Who's soul did you use, bastard?!"

The loud voice of Edward bounced off the gray walls, and into Shou's ear like a trumpet blasting out it's highest pitched note. "I said shut up!" he shrieked, forcing his hands down onto the circle again.

Once more, the deadly reminder of Ed's mother came to mind when the deep violets and dark blues swirled together, mixing into a midnight black color. "Daddy, no!" Nina squealed, running past her father and into the circle with Edward. "Don't hurt wittle big bwotho!"

Shou's eyes went wide. "Nina! Get away from him! Get out of the circle now!"

"No daddy! Not without wittle big bwotho!" Nina yelled, as Ed screamed at the enormous amount of pain moving through his body. "Daddy! You awe hurting wittle big bwotho! Stop it!" she shrieked, wrapping her arms around Ed's neck.

"You little idiot!" Shou hissed, not about to stop the transmutation again. "You can die with him!"

Nina shut her eyes tight and clung to the older Elric brother. She buried her head in his chest and held tightly to his torn shirt. His blood slipped onto her palms, and stained her dress where her heart was. _A little bit more_ Shou thought sadistically. _Who knows Edward, you might not even make it if the dumbass Colonel finds you. Who knows, after all, you'll be incredibly different..._

"Nina! G-Get out of here!" Ed yelled in agony. "S-Save yo-yourself!"

Nina shook her head again, tears beginning to fall from her big blue eyes. "No wittle big bwotho . . . I won't leave you!" she cried.

Edward closed his eyes, gold vanishing behind his pale colored eyelids. "Nina," he mumbled. "I love you . . ."

And that was the last thing that Edward saw; Nina was lying on him, holding him, loving him like her own real, big brother. In the end, all Shou saw was blood. Nina, however, saw everything. Her father's sadistic and sickened smile, Ed on the verge of tears from her caring so much.

Beyond what they even saw, so visible and obvious, deep in the pit of Nina's little stomach, hidden far away from the naked eye, she was horrified. She was scared, but she wasn't going to leave. She was incredibly brave, and that's all Ed could even think about. How stubborn and brave she was.

The Transmutation grew larger and the rays grew bigger and longer.

Darkness set in on Ed's mind and body. He went limp. More blood seeped out of his body . . .

Just as quickly as he went lifeless, a shock wave of pain speared him straight through the heart- he jumped awake . . . and he screamed once more. 


End file.
